Silencer.



UNITED STATI T OFFICE.

J'MES MADISON MILLER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUIdBIA.

SILENGER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Janus Mamsox hllL' Len. a. citizen of the United States, residing at Washington. District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Silencers, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates toan improvement in silencers constructed and arranged for use with gas engines with the etfeet to dissipate the energy of the exhaust gases by counteracting their velocity of movement and changing their path of direetion'while within the silencer.

The main object of the present invention is the provision of a silencer in which the body of gas in its travel lengthwise of the silencer is successively divided into a series of rotary or whirling currents to reduce the velocity of movement of the gas and dissipate the energy, the whirling current being directed in a directioiropposed to that of their original path of travel within the silencer and delivered into an enveloping or collection chamber in which their direction of movement. is again changed and from which the gases finally escape under the power of the expansion force alone, thereby insuring a silent discharge.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a silencer in which the deflecting planes are of continuously increasing diameter from the inlet to the discharge end of the silencer, the final deflecting plane forming a complete obstruction to the passage of the gas in its normal path centrally of the silencer, the relative proportion of sizes of the deflecting plane serving to cause each plane to take care of its proper proportionate part of the gases passing through the silencer, with the effect to equalize the distribution of the gases and avoid any back pressure interference with the. gas stream entering the silencer. The regular distribution of the gases within the silencer neces sarily tends to the formation of a pull upon the gases in the main stream or path with the effect to create a vacuum at the inlet end of the silencer and-not. only avoid hack pressure on the engine, but actually induce a vacuum pull and scavenging etlects on the cylinders.

Another object of the invention is the pro- Patented Jan. 10, 1911.

Serial No. 587,163.

I vision of a mother in which the gases after having edge flanges or walls 53 being influenced by the deflecting surfaces or planes are collected in an enveloping casing from which they are dischar ed by their expansive force, whereby the V0 ume of gas affected by each deflecting surface is by said surface directed into the casing wholly beyond the influence of the succeeding deflecting surfaces.

The invention will be described in the following specification, reference being had particularly to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a vertical section of the improved silcncer. Fig. :2 is an enlarged per spective view illustrating two of the deflecting units or cups in coupled relation. Fig. 3 is an enlarged broken sectional view, illustratin particularly the dili'erent currents in the si encer. Fig. -l is a broken sectional view showing a modified arrangement of i and connection between the deflecting cups.

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawings, theimproved silencer is made up primarily of a series of deflecting elements or cups 1, including cup like bodies and bottom walls'3. The edge walls are of fluted conformation longitudinally providing, in transverse section a series of oppositely opening channels. that is, channels t opening to the interior of the cup and channels 5 opening to the exterior thereof, said chan nels being alternately disposed, as more clearly shown in Fig. 3. The bottom wall is a double concavo-convex form, that 1s, concaved on the inner surface and convex on the outer surface, having the meeting lines of curvature at approxnnately the central point of the bottom, so that from said central point the bottom curves in all directions toward the side wall. The bottom of each cup member, except the final one of the series is formed with an opening 6, said opening being centrally disposed and by reason of the formation previously described, the innersurface of the bottom between the edge of the opening and the side wall is regularly concaved throughout as at 7, while the outer surface is convex as at 8.

hip members are, in the'preferred form, secured in assembled or interlocked relation by forming each cup at the juncture of the 'matel semi-circular flan e 13.

side wall and bottom with a series of spurs 9 cut from the material and slightly offset therefrom, the interlocking being secnred-by' arranging the s )lllS of one cu which spurs are formed in longitudinal a inement with the inwardly opening channels of said cup, to fit the free forward edges of the outwardly opening channels 5 of the next adjacent cup. By this arrangement the cup members when in interlocked relation are arranged so that the mouth or'outlet end of each inwardly opening channel 4 longitudinally alines with and directly discharges into an-outwardly opening channel 5 of the next adjacentcup. By-this mea'ns regularly divided paths of travel for the gases from between the cups are provided.

The silencer is provided with an inlet shell 10 of semi-spherical shape formed with a connection 11 for the exhaust pipe 12 from the end, said shell being formed adjacent as outlet end with an annular approxi- I An outlet shell 14' is provided for the outlet end of the silencer, said shell having a central opening 15 for the connection of an escape hell or pipe, as 16. The outlet shell is also formed with an annular flange 17 corresponding to the flange 13 of the inlet shell. A collector casing 18, of an appropriate length is arranged between the inlet and outlet shells, the ends of the casing fitting within the annular flanges 13 and 17 of the shells, the latter being reduced, if desired,

. at 19 to provide an accurate gas pipe fit.

In assembling parts, the cup-members are secured in connected relation, as described, any desired number of membersbeing. used. The. forward edge-of the cup member immediately adjacent the inlet shell seats in a recess 20 formed in the shell edge, while the final cup member is engaged by an outlet band 21 formed with. .a series of elongated openings 22, which openings provide a communication between the collection chamber 18 and the outlet shell let. The collection chamber has a diameter exceeding the maxi- ,mum diameter of the cup members and issecured in place by. tie-rods 23 passing through the flanges of the respective shells and secured by nuts .in an appropriate manner. Tie-rods thereby serve to hold all parts in connected relation.

It will be noted that as-previously described, the final-j-cup member is centrally formed without'the opening of the remaining cup member,thereby-providing an abutment 24 closing-the central passage through the silencer. 'Furthnnorqthe central opening of the silencer is gradually reduced from the inletopening to the abutment, while the channels in the annular. or; side, wall. of the cup members open toward the inlet end of thesilencer.

In Fig. 4, I have shown a slightly modified form of arrangement in which the (up members are not disposed in lapped relation. but are spaced as shown. The parts are secured in connected relation by tie-rods 25 passing through sleeve sections arranged or secured in the respective cup members. In this instance, the tie-rods 23 are dispensed with while the remaining parts of the silencer are of the construction shown in Fig. 4.

In use, the exhaust gases directed into the silencer are gradually takenup by the respective cup members. As the opening in each successive cup member from the entrance to the exit end of the silencer is reduced in diameter, it will be obvious that each cup will deflect a portion of-t-he gas stream and particularly that portion disposed beyond the edge of its openinqi- This will create a whirl or circular movement in the concave portion of each cup member, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 3, and' the outer edge of such whirling portion of gases will be gradually drawn through the inwardly opening channels 4 at the edge wall of the particular cup. This movement is toward the inlet end of the silencer. and as noted the gases passing from said channels into the collection chamber are given within said chamber an exactly opposite movement or toward the outlet end. The whirling movement within the cup members develops a centrifugal action which is continued until the expansive force of the gas overcomes the same at which time the gas finds its natural outlet through the channels 4. Therefore, when the gases reach the collection chamber, they are moving practically under their expansive force alone.

It will be noted that the deflecting surface of the cup member at the outlet end of the silencer has the maximum eoncaved surface so that the greatest volume of gas will naturally be handled at this point. As this particular cup member is more closely adjacent the outlet from the silencer it will be obvious that such maximum volume of gas will tend to create a suction at the inlet end. Experience has demonstrated that such operation willitend'in effect to create a vacuum at the 'inletend of the silencer and thereby draw all of the spent gases from the cylinder, not only scavenging the latter, butmaterially increasing the horse-power from a given charge and cylinder over the use of the ordinary muffler under the same condition, due primarily to the withdrawal of all spent gases from the cylinder and insuring a perfect fresh charge for next explosion.

It is, of course, to be understood that any desired number of cup members may be used and that the sizes of the adjacent deflecting surfaces may be varied with relation to each other to any desired extent.

Haring time described my invention, what I claim as new is:--

l. A silencer including); a series of dcllech I ing members and a collection chamber encircling Htlid members. the deflecting members each including a central opening and a con- -caro-conrex deflecting surface arral'iged b0- V1 and the opening, and a final deflecting mentioned t'leflecting members and including .a (1111021\(l-tOllVtX deflecting surface, and'a wall bridging the opening formed by the a wall bridging the opening formed by the alined openings of the first-mentioned deflecting members, and means carried by each deflecting member to direct the current from the detlectil'igsurfactinto the collection chamber. i

it silencer made up of a series of deflecting members arranged in alinemcntand fol-mum; a central passage through the silencer: a final deflector ctu'responding to the remaining del'hmtors and formed with an,

imperforatc wall to bridge the central pas sage in the deflector, each of said members Illcllltjl'lllggj a 00th.?!\U-UUHVOK deflecting sur fact-a and a rcarwardly extendingedgre wall and a collection chamber encircling! the deflecting incmbcrs and receiving the grant-s be tween the edge walls of..-:ul i:u-eul deflecting members. 7

4. A silencer made up of a series of concave-convex deflecting members ha ring rea rwardly cxtei'uling edge wallssaid members being in part formed with a central Optlllllg and the final member m-m'idedwith an imperftn'ate wall in line with the remaining members. the openings of the successive members being gradually decreased in the direction ofllow of the gases and means carried-by each deflecting member to cooperate with the similar means of the next sucrctedinn' member to direct the rearwardly with respect to then normal flow,

and a suction chamber to receive said gaues from the deflecting members. I

A cup nuanber having silencers includ ing a body formed with a concave-convex deflecting surface, and a convoluted edge flange.

t3. ti. cup member hearing; ailencers includ ing a body foi'medwith a concartrcouvex deflecting surface, and a convoluted edge member arranged in alinemeut with thefirst flange projecting in approximate parallelism with the axis of the member.

T. A. silencer imzluding, a series of alined cup members and a collection chamber en circling said members, each of said members being formed with a central opening, and a final cup member'alined with the other cup members and closing the passage"fo1r1ncd by the central openings of the other cup members.

8. A silencer including a series of alined cup members. and a collection chamber encircling said cup n'l'en'ibers each of said cup members being formed with an edge Wall of fluted configuratitm to provide a series of channels leading to the collection chamber.

9. A silencer including a series of alined cup members. and a collection chamber encircling said cap members. each of said cup Inei'nbers being formed with an edge wall of fluted configuration to provide a series of channels leading to the collection chamlmt'. and means for securing the cup members in interlocked relation.

1Q Acup member for use in silencers including a concavo-conrex bottom wall and a longitudinally fluted side wall.

1i. A cup member for use in silencers il'lfilllt'liflg); a concaro-convex bottom wall formed with a central opening; and a longitutflinally fluted Side wall.

12. A cup memlmr for use in silencers ineluding a concavo-conver: bottom wall and a longitudinally fluted side Walh said men'ibcr at the juncture of the side and bottom walls being formed with. integral projecting spurs to engage the free edge of the side wall to the next adjacent cup.

13. A silencer incl riding" cup members havinp; concaro-couvox surfaces disposed at approximately rig'h-t angles to the path of the drumming guises, and loluritudinallv tinted surfaces disposed in approximately parallelism with the path of the incoming gases;

H. A silencer il'icluding cup members each having a concaVo-couvex surface disposed at an magic to the path of the incon'ling gases and a fluted surface disposed in approximately parallelism with the path of the incoming gases, the fluted surface of one cup overlying the fluted surface of the next adjacent cup.

15. A. .silencer including cup members, each having aconcavo-convex surface disposed at an augleto the path of the incoming gases and a "fluted surface disposed 1n apprtuiin'iately parallelism with the path of the incoming: gases the fluted surface of one cup overlying the fluted surface of the next adjacent cup, the convolutuma of one fluted surface registering with the op osing con rotations of the other fluted sur'ace.

16. A silencer including cupmcmbers having concavo-corwex surfaces disposed at approximately right angles to the path of the incoming gases, and longitudinally fluted surfaces disposed in approximately parallelism with the path of the incoming gases, the convolutio'ns of the fluted surfaces opening in a direction opposite the direction of travel of the incoming gases.

In testimon whereof, I ixfiix my signature in presence 0 two witnesses.

JAMES MADISON MILLER,

Witnesses:

' E. EDMONSTON, Jr.,

DAVID W. GOULD. 

